Speakers

Sandra Giarde, CAE is the Executive Director of the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA), overseeing association operations and leading CLCA’s landscape water‑use initiatives, including the EPA WaterSense‑approved Certified Water Manager program and the award‑winning Water Efficient Landscape Dual Certification program with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. She also serves as staff lead for CLCA’s Resource Management Committee. 

Before entering association management, Sandra worked in the U.S. House of Representatives, the California State Assembly, and as a political consultant. She later became the youngest and only female Executive Director in the history of the California Cleaners Association and has now accumulated more than 26 years of association leadership experience. 

Sandra is a Certified Association Executive and is a member of Associations West and a board member of the Nursery & Landscape Association Executives of North America. She earned her political science degree from UC Riverside and volunteers with Chalk It Up to support youth arts in the Sacramento region. 

Outside of work, she enjoys concerts, trash TV, traveling, and searching for the perfect al pastor taco.